A survey of South Dakota, west to east

The Mount Rushmore State has an embarrassment of riches for visitors. In addition to the four presidents’ faces and the state’s other granite sculpture, NTA-member Crazy Horse Memorial, there are the rugged Badlands, the scenic Black Hills and the town of Deadwood, brimming with both history and casinos. And that’s just in the western part of the state.

Heading east, options for itineraries are myriad. The Akta Lakota Museum, an NTA member in Chamberlain, honors the native Lakota people by exhibiting today’s art alongside yesterday’s artifacts. Its galleries and educational displays depict the proud heritage of the Lakota people, and the attraction provides space where local American Indian artists can display and sell their works.

Falls Park in Sioux Falls (Photo by
South Dakota Department of Tourism)

In Sioux Falls, you can visit Falls Park and see the city’s namesake: the Falls of the Big Sioux River. And new to the city is the Arc of Dreams, a stainless steel structure that spans the length of a football field and rises 70 feet above the river. It’s set to be installed in May.

In Mitchell, be sure to visit the world’s only Corn Palace, a Moorish-inspired building decorated with murals made from corn and other grains. And in the Yankton area, follow in the footsteps of intrepid explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Scenic Highway 10 will take travelers through the Coteau des Prairies (Hills of the Prairies), where glaciers once covered the land. And on the Native American Scenic Byway, South Dakota’s cultural roots unfold as you travel into the heart of the Great Sioux Nation.

To get more ideas for itineraries, contact Cole Irwin, global travel and trade director for the South Dakota Department of Tourism or visit toursdakota.com.

Top photo: The Corn Palace in Mitchell
Photo by CC Flickr/Jena Fuller: bit.ly/2U4nF2P